Bending In Shadows
by DavisHancockEveryday
Summary: In the modern world, where are all the benders? The days of the Avatar are long over, lost to history or written off as pagean mythology. However, Josh Andrews has an incredible ability unknown to him. How will he survive in this modern story, where other benders are nonexistant. Or are they? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1

I've always been different. I was parentless from one month after my first birthday, my entire life I grew up in an orphanage. My parents, who I so closely resemble with our dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, were killed when their car crashed and then burst into flames and exploded. I have very little of them left, only a picture and my father's watch he left home that night they went out. Used to be people would try and adopt me. But I was always returned quickly. Something would happen, either that I was just cold and standoffish or they would return me, no reason, no excuses, I was just sent back.

At school, I was the quiet kid, the one rarely noticed and often bullied. Yeah, the boys at school would beat me up or take my lunch money or any number of things. I usually sat alone or sat at various other tables at the bottom of the popularity pyramid. I found peace in the solitude and despite my inner thoughts, I rarely spoke my mind. Sometimes, people would talk to me. Either new kids or the odd ones like me who wandered around without a purpose. Then the rumors reached them, or the bullies got to them. And they would stop talking to me. It would just be over; they would just ignore me and never look back.

One day at school right before lunch, a group of boys grabbed me and took me into the bathroom.

"Give us the money, freshman, or you'll get a swirly!" The biggest one said.

Since I felt like being rebellious and going against my common sense, I said,

"No, it's my money and I'm going to spend it,"

This was probably the stupidest thing I had ever said in my life, and immediately they grabbed me and dragged me into a stall. I fought, I kicked and struggled and swung, but they were at least three times the size I was, and I quickly found myself head first in a toilet, with water rushing past my head and my hair being pulled into the drain.

I felt them grab my wallet and I tried to pull myself out, but they continued to hold me down.

"Come on, we got the money!" One of them said.

The hand immediately let go of me and ran after his buddies. I shot up and gasped for air, then turned and saw the door swinging shut, with my wallet on the floor. I walked over and grabbed it, then put myself under the blow dryers and dried off. I made up my mind right at that moment that I was done with this. 

I was going to run away, leave this terrible life behind and figure out what I was going to do with my life.


	2. Chapter 2

****Flash forward to present time****

So now you're caught up to the present. It's been a week since I made up my mind. For the first few days, I gathered whatever money I could. I pawned off some jewelry from my foster mom, skipped lunch, and sold test and homework answers. Then when I was about $200 dollars from where I wanted to be, I pawned my dad's watch. In the end I came up with just over $675 dollars.

I'm now on a Greyhound bus, which cost $75 dollars to take me from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia. I would have thought it would have been $50 dollars because we're just across the state, but no. That was all the money I made from selling test answers. But it was worth it. Savannah, I've heard, is a great place. At night when the street performers come out and the lights come on, it's supposed to be nicer than Paris.

I look down at my bus ticket, _Josh Andrews, 15, _is written on it. I rarely use my last name, since I know nothing about my family history. My dad left me a watch. I'm glad he did, that'll pay for food for two weeks.

It's about sunset and I'm told, by the overhead speakers, that we will be in Savannah in 2 hours. I'm nervous now; next to me is a man who has been looking at me strangely since I got on the bus. I hope he'll just go to sleep.

I try to pass the time by looking through the bag I brought with me. I brought a hooded jacket, the money, an extra gold necklace to pawn, two jars of peanut butter, a couple water bottles, two changes of clothes, and a sturdy pocket knife.

At some point I drifted off, but I'm woken up a few hours later by a man shaking my shoulder. I look out my window and see a bus station. We're just a few blocks from the river. I get up and grab my stuff, briskly getting off the bus.

I immediately start walking towards the river, following the sounds of ship horns and street performers. At one point I notice the man from the bus following me. I try to ignore him and continue to go towards the river. In a few minutes I make it there. And the elegance of the river at night was not understated. The street lamps and brick roads combined with the slow river boats moving in the distance give the place an Old South feel. One of a place so consumed with its own elegancy that it fails to see the approaching storm.

I look around and see people watching street performers, or going into restaurants, or taking pictures or just wandering around. Most people have touristy looks about them, blondish-brown hair, tall and fit. I have dark brown hair, brown eyes and deeply tanned skin. I'm only around 5'7 so I've always been called the Indian. I think my family had Inuit or Eskimo roots.

While I'm watching the hustle of Savannah, a voice whispers in my ear and says, "Hey there,"

The tone is so strange that I jump back.


	3. Chapter 3

I spin on my heels and turn to find the man who was watching me on the bus. I look at his face. He looks confused and puzzled. I don't stay to find out why. Immediately I turn towards the nearest alley and run.

Savannah, despite being beautiful, is perfectly graphical. The main downtown is a perfect grid of squares and rectangles. This makes it easy to navigate, but hiding spots basically don't exist. I tear through the town, pushing people and dodging cars. The old man keeps up somehow. He has a way of running where his steps are heavy and solid.

I don't bother watching long, and take several jagged turns. I make it to a road on the outskirts of downtown, and find a man hole. It takes all my strength, but I take the cover off and climb down, quickly scrambling down and replacing the cover. I think I'm safe, but the cover is ripped off and a man jumps down. I don't wait to see his face. I know who he is.

I raced down the sewer tunnels, avoiding the sewage. After maybe three minutes, I'm blocked by a grate and out of breath. The man turns the corner, blocking my only escape.

"Look, I just want to talk," the man says.

"Go away." I state firmly.

"Look kid. I came a long way to find you. I just want to…."

"Go away!" I yell as loud as I can.

Then something strange happens. Without any thing happening, a surge of water comes flooding down the sewers and passes me, flying toward the man. Instead of running or covering himself, he slams his foot into the ground. The concrete surges up and forms a shield in front of the man. The wave smashes into it and returns to the calm steady stream.

My puzzled expression as to what happened consumes my anger and fear. Suddenly, a rock comes flying at me and hit me square in the fore head.

Then I hit the floor and pass out.


End file.
